Was Islam Spread By The Sword? (Creator, soul, followers, minority)

[peacefull]

WAS ISLAM SPREAD BY THE SWORD?

It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.

1. Islam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).

2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.
Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.

3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page 8):
"History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."

4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.

5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.

6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.

7. Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"

8. East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"

9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."

10. No compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur’an says in the following verse:
"Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error"
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]

11. Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125:
"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious."
[Al-Qur’an 16:125]

12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?

13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?

14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, "People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born".

[FatMan]

At some point in time all established, historical religions were spread by the sword.

Some keep the reputation longer than others - and mainly the ones that are perceived to be the most fervent keep the reputation the longest.

[fullyveiled muslimah]

Another regurgitation of this is all we need. Thanks alot.........

(sits back and enjoy's the "show")

[Radio Frequency X]

Originally Posted by FatMan

At some point in time all established, historical religions were spread by the sword.

Some keep the reputation longer than others - and mainly the ones that are perceived to be the most fervent keep the reputation the longest.

Christianity was being spread by the sword 1700 years after the death of Christ. Some might say 1800 years. Islam has been doing it for 1300 years. So, maybe after another 400 years, they'll calm down. Both religions are all about peace and love and whatnot, and both inspired violence, hate, and cruelty. Why? Because human beings are often violent, hateful, and cruel. Religions are notorious for belonging to people. One day, Islam will have a reformation too. But not yet.

[Terrywoodenpic]

The Muslim nations spread their influence , like every other nation, by trade and conquest. One of the results of this was to spread their faith.

Empires expand and contract over time.

However, when they contract, they usually leave behind parts of their civilization and many people converted to their faith.

Even in countries like Spain where The Muslims were eventually totally defeated, and the population subjected to an inquisition, pockets of Muslims remain.
The same is true all over Europe in the parts where the Muslims once but no longer rule.

[Popeyesays]

There have been great calumnies spread against Muhammad, none worse than the accusation that Muhammad sought to spread Islam by violence.

"As long as He bore no responsibility for presiding over the fortunes of men, Muhammad, in the face of constant abuse, vilification, physical assault and injury, did not raise a finger to defend Himself. But as soon as the destinies and the security of His followers and indeed of a whole town came to rest in His hands, He acted as a ruler should, with tact and forbearance, with wisdom and justice. It was His duty to halt the aggressor, to counter the moves of the adversary, to neutralize the efforts of the enemy, and if need be to order his elimination. He had no other choice in a largely lawless land. At al-Hudaybiyyah, while engaged in negotiating a truce with the implacable idolaters, Muhammad gave way to Suhayl Ibn 'Amr, the Meccan envoy, and instructed the scribe to delete the expression, 'Muhammad the Apostle of God' from the draft treaty and refer to Him simply as 'Muhammad Ibn 'Abdi'llah'. Even more, He acceded to the demand that a Meccan, who had embraced Islam and gone to Medina, against the wishes of his people, should be returned to Mecca. But in the matter of the worship of idols, of joining partners with the Supreme Creator of the Universe, Muhammad never compromised, never yielded an inch.
It is untrue to say (as it has been said again and again by those who would denigrate Muhammad) that Islam was the religion of the sword. It was months after the fall of Mecca that Safwan Ibn Umayyah, who had been outlawed and subsequently pardoned by Muhammad, declared his allegiance to Islam, entirely of his own choosing. Throughout the long years that 'Abdu'llah 161 Ibn Ubayy and his associates paid only lip-service to Muhammad and tried to thwart His purpose, never was any force used to wrest a declaration of total allegiance from them. 'Adi, the son of the celebrated Hatim, went to Medina in two minds whether to give recognition to the prophethood of Muhammad or not; he was accorded the honours due to a son of such a renowned father, and became a Muslim under no threat or pressure. That great work of Sir Thomas Arnold, The Preaching of Islam, admirably recounts the story of the spread of the Faith of Muhammad."
(H.M. Balyuzi, Muhammad and the Course of Islam, p. 160)

Regards,
Scott

[wizanda]

Al-Islam Means I bow or submit to the way of peace, so can not mean war....Jihad means to control the soul as a sword rather then a clumsy donkey, as a soul does more damage to people then mere words can.
So when a sword is referred to often it is misconstrued and should be understood in the way of a Sikh sword, yet I do believe that Mohammed meant the heart and soul being wielded and by pushing that step further things can be achieved for God/Allah and what Jihad really meant.

Our problem stems that even in the Quran when you remove all the brackets it say Muslims are those who ardently fight against faith… Muslim is also san skirt (I think it was) or some languages I found an article where said how, it was a group who just fought religion and that is what is happening.

Where as many Islamic raised in their own country live a peaceful life’s.
under western ideology of Islamic teachings it is useless to try as the language barrier doesn’t match, the poetic beauty of the Quran sung.

When you go to some where like morocco and every night you hear the call from the top of Casa Blanca it is truly peaceful and harmonious.
Yet within a westernised Quran many of these have become over Muslim and less Islamic due to translation.

Plus the Two have been mingled as one and no one notices due to all those brackets.

Anyways anyone who truly understand Islam is peaceful….Muslims though will fight religion as that is their way, which basically from all I can find within the Quran should be seen as separate?

[michel]

I must admit that, when I saw the title of this thread, I thought "Oh, no"....

As other posters have said, all religions have been spread by the sword in the past; none is untarnished.

The only way we can all move forward is to forget history. Take the world as it is today - like a "freeze frame", accept where we all are, and that we all have rights to believe what we individuals want to believe, without feeling scared of persecution.

And work on how to build bridges...instead of pathways on which we hurl abuse at each othe.

For the love of God, Allah, whoever and whatever we all believe in - for the non theists, I suppose it will be for the Love of each other....Let us work for peace.